UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   PUBLICATIONS 

IN 

AGRICULTURAL    SCIENCES 

Vol.  1,  No.  9,  pp.  275-290,  pis.  1-4  June  9,  1915 


NEW  EXPERIMENTS   ON  ALKALI  SOIL 
TREATMENT 

{Preliminary  Report) 

BY 

CHARLES  B.  LIPMAN  and  LESLIE  T.  SHARP 


The  presence  of  ''alkali,"  denoting  water-soluble  salts  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  soils,  has  long  been  one  of  the  problems 
of  soil  management  in  arid  regions  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  practical  as  well  as  that  of  the  scientific  man.  While  soluble 
salts  like  magnesium  and  calcium  sulphates,  and  chlorides  as  well 
as,  in  some  cases,  nitrates  of  the  alkalies  and  alkali  earths  and 
other  soluble  compounds  frequently  occur  with  them,  the  salts 
which  usually  are  found  to  cause  injury  in  alkali  soils  are  sodium 
chloride,  sodium  sulphate,  and  sodium  carbonate.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  go  into  detail  here  on  the  specific  effects  of  every  one 
of  these  salts.  Suifice  it  to  say,  that  in  general  the  damage 
is  caused  by  these  salts  through  corrosion  of  living  plant  sub- 
stance, through  plasmolysis  of  plant  cells  owing  to  injurious 
osmotic  influences,  and  through  effects  on  the  physical,  chemical, 
and  bacteriological  constitution  of  the  soil  which  result  in  poor 
aeration,  poor  moisture  supply,  improperly  balanced  chemical 
composition  of  the  soil  solution,  and  in  impairment  of  those 
bacteriological  activities  necessary  to  insure  an  available  supply 
of  plant  food  substances,  particularly  of  the  nitrogen  variety. 

Alleviative  measures  in  vogue  to  date  in  dealing  with  the 
alkali  problem  as  it  aft'ects  crop  production  have  been,  in  general, 
of  two  classes.  The  first  class  is  that  concerned  with  the  removal 
of  alkali  salts  from  the  affected  soils  by  flooding,  accompanied 
by  underdrainage  by  natural  or  tile  drain  methods.     The  second 


276         Utiiversity  of  California  Puhlications  in  Agi^icultural  Sciences    [Vol.  1 

class  has  been  that  of  rendering  innocuous,  in  part  or  in 
whole,  the  alkali  salts  without  their  removal  from  the  soil.  In 
the  latter  a  division  may  again  be  made  into  methods  of  chemical 
treatment,  such  as  that  against  sodium  carbonate,  or  "black 
alkali,"  with  gypsum  and  its  transformation  into  the  less  harm- 
ful Glauber  salt  or  sodium  sulphate,  and  methods  of  heavy  irri- 
gation and  deep  tillage  for  the  purpose  of  disseminating  the 
salts  through  a  larger  internal  soil  surface,  thus  rendering  less 
concentrated  the  soil  solution  of  alkali  salts.  It  may  be  added 
in  this  connection  that  empirical  methods  of  alkali  soil  treat- 
ment, such  as  those  of  Symmonds^  and  Darnell-Smith-  in  ap- 
plying nitric  and  sulphuric  acids  respectively,  and  those  of 
others  employing  barnyard  manure,  have  in  a  few  instances 
been  rewarded  with  good  results.  Fuller  details  with  reference 
to  these  experiments  need  not  be  given  here,  since  they  will  be 
discussed  in  the  more  complete  report  which  will  appear  when 
our  experiments  have  matured. 

BxVsis  OP  THE  Present  Experiments 
It  will  be  noted  above  that  ameliorative  measures  in  alkali 
land  treatment  have  been,  with  the  exception  of  that  of  the 
drainage  treatment  and  that  of  the  Hilgard  proposal  of  gypsum 
treatment  against  black  alkali,  of  an  empirical  nature  and  not 
based  on  established  scientific  principles.  Some  measures  have 
indeed  been  employed  without  any  good  reason.  It  occurred 
to  the  writers,  therefore,  to  attack  the  problem  of  alkali  treatment 
in  soils  on  the  scientific  basis  of  principles  established  on  theore- 
tical or  experimental  grounds.  The  latter  included,  broadly 
speaking,  the  principle  of  antagonism  between  ions,"^  and  those 
of  the  behavior  of  soil  colloids  and  chemical  soil  constituents  in 
the  presence  of  soluble  salts,  or  on  the  removal  of  soluble  salts. '^ 


1  Journ.  Agr.  Gov.  New  South  Wales,  vol.  21    (1910),  p.  257. 

2  Kept.  Govt.  Bur.  Microbiol.  New  South  Wales,  vol.  2,  p.  200. 

■i  See  papers  of  Osterhout  in  University  of  California  Publications  in 
Botany  and  those  of  C.  B.  Lipnian  in  Centralblatt  fiir  BaktcM-ioloirJe,  2"^ 
Abt.;  also  jiaj)er  soon  to  ai)pear  by  C.  B.  Lij)inan  and  \V.  F.  (Jericke,  in 
Journal  of  A<;ricultural  Research. 

4  fn  detailed  studies  carried  out  by  L.  T.  Sharj),  which  are  soon  to  be 
I)ublished,  many  data  of  a  fundamental  nature  have  been  obtained,  on  the 
importance  of  the  relationship  existin*;  between  soil  colloids  and  soluble 
Halts,  particularly  when  the  latter  are  leached  from  a  soil. 


1915]       Lipman-Sharp :  Neiv  Experiments  on  Alkali  Soil  Treatment  277 

Since  the  first-named  principle  is  supported  by  numerous  experi- 
ments demonstrating  the  efficacy  of  some  salts  in  preventing  the 
toxicity  of  others  to  plants  and  to  soil  bacteria,  we  have  at- 
tempted to  approach  the  production  of  a  more  balanced  soil 
solution  by  treating  the  affected  soil  with  certain  salts.  Since 
likewise  the  experiments  of  one  of  us  above  cited  have  demon- 
strated the  harmful  effects  on  the  soil  colloids  of  the  washing 
out  of  salts  as  well  as  on  the  removal  of  necessary  elements  in 
the  soil,  we  have  attempted  to  prevent  such  harmful  effects  or 
to  neutralize  them  by  the  methods  of  acid  and  manure  treatment 
which  we  have  employed.  The  details  of  our  experiments  follow 
below. 

The  Method  of  the  Experiments 
A  large  quantity  of  alkali  soil  was  shipped  to  the  greenhouse 
from  a  field  south  of  Kerman  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley.  This 
soil,  which  had  been  previously  analyzed  for  alkali,  was  found 
to  contain  0.64  per  cent  of  water-soluble  salts  which  was  composed 
as  follows:  0.459  per  cent  NaCl  0.098  per  cent  Na.SO,,  0.083 
per  cent  NaXOo.  It  is  understood,  of  course,  that  the  determina- 
tions just  given  are  according  to  conventional  analytical  methods 
made  referable  to  sodium  as  the  base,  whereas  of  course  other 
bases  must  usually  occur  as  above  intimated  along  with  the  acids 
determined.  In  this  case,  however,  only  traces  of  calcium  and 
magnesium  were  found.  The  soil  just  described  has  never  been 
cropped  and  has  borne  only  a  sparse  vegetation  of  plants  resistant 
to  alkali  and  drouth.  It  was  distributed  in  eight-inch  earthen- 
ware pots  in  portions  of  six  kilograms  each  and  the  pots  received 
the  following  treatments : 

3—  Untreated. 

o—  30.42  gr.  each  of  actual  H.,S04  c.p. 
7—  41.76  gr.  of  actual  H.SO^  c.p. 
9—  11.02  gr.  each  of  actual  H.SO,  c.p. 
11—  62.08  gr.  each  of  actual  CaSo4  2HoO  c.p. 
13 —     6.00  gr.  each  of  actual  CUSO4  c.p.  calculated  as 
anhydrous  salt. 
Nos.  14     and     15—  30.00  gr.  each  of  actual  FeSO^  c.p.  calculated  as 

anhydrous  salt. 
Nos.  16     and     17 —  12.00  gr.  each  of  actual  Na,S04  c.p.  (anhydrous). 
Nos.  18     and     19 — 300.00  gr.  each  of  actual  air-drv  barnvard  manure. 


Nos.  1, 

2  an( 

Nos.  4 

and 

Nos.  6 

and 

Nos.  8 

and 

Nos.  10 

and 

Nos.  12 

and 

278         University  of  California  Fublications  in  Agricultural  ScAences    [Vol.  1 

About  three  days  after  these  treatments  were  given,  selected 
barley  seeds  of  the  Beldi  variety  were  planted  in  all  the  pots  to 
the  number  of  thirteen  in  each.  They  were  later  thinned  to  four 
plants  for  each  pot.  As  nearly  as  possible,  optimum  moisture 
conditions  were  maintained  in  all  the  pots  throughout  the  ex- 
periment and  caution  was  observed  in  irrigation  so  as  to  obviate 
any  possibility  of  percolation  and  the  inevitable  leaching  of 
salts  which  would  accompany  it. 


Results  of  the  Experiment 
The  seeds  were  planted  on  August  2,   1914,   and  the  crop 
harvested  on  January  23,  1915.     The  following  table  gives  the 
data  regarding  yields  obtained. 

TABLE    I 

Yields  of  Barley  Obtained  in  Alkali  Soil  Treatment 


ro.  of 

pot 

1 

Yield  of 
tops 
grams 

.8 

Yield  of 
roots 
grams 
.5 

Yield  of 
grain 
grams 
.00 

Increased  weight 

of  tops  over 

control  avg. 

grams 

2 

5.5 

1.2 

.05 

3 

8.0 

1.7 

.05 

4 

16.8 

6.9 

.80 

12.80 

5 

17.0 

3.9 

.70 

12.90 

6 

4.3 

1.1 

.05 

-0.45 

7 

15.2 

3.0 

.10 

10.50 

8 

15.8 

3.3 

2.60 

13.60 

9 

14.5 

3.6 

2.20 

11.90 

10 

6.7 

1.1 

1.15 

3.05 

n 

8.2 

.8 

1.20 

4.60 

]2 

.2 

-- 

.00 

-4.60 

]3 

.2 

.1 

.00 

-4.60 

]4 

5.3 

.5 

.00 

0.50 

15 

12.2 

8.7 

.50 

7.90 

16 

1.7 

.6 

.00 

3.10 

17 

1.7 

.6 

.00 

3.10 

18 

1 0.0 

5.2 

.90 

6.10 

19 

7.4 

3.9 

.90 

3.50 

1915]       LipTuan- Sharp :  New  Experiments  on  Alkali  Soil  Treatment  279 

The  marked  effects  produced  by  some  of  the  treatments  of  the 
alkali  soils  are  clearly  indicated  in  the  data  submitted  in  the  fore- 
going table.  Of  the  three  control  pots,  only  Xos.  2  and  3  are 
probably  representative  of  the  true  conditions  in  the  soil.  But. 
even  taking  these  larger  values  for  the  yields  of  barley  obtained 
from  the  untreated  soil,  it  is  very  striking  to  note  the  beneficial 
effects  of  several  of  the  treatments.  This  is  especially  note- 
worthy in  the  case  of  the  sulphuric  acid  treatments  and  par- 
ticularly at  the  smallest  application  of  that  acid.  The  yields  in 
pots  4  and  5  and  pots  8  and  9  are  more  than  three  times  as  large 
as  those  of  the  average  yield  of  the  two  control  pots,  2  and  3. 
The  discrepancy  between  the  duplicate  pots  (6  and  7)  of  the 
largest  sulphuric  acid  application  cannot  definitely  be  accounted 
for,  but  it  is  obvious  that  several  explanations  might  be  offered 
therefor.  Even  the  gypsum,  ferrous  sulphate,  and  barnyard 
manure  treatments  were  instrumental  in  improving  very  mater- 
ially the  producing  power  of  the  soil  for  barley.  Evidence  is 
now  in  hand  which  will  be  published  later  indicating  that 
ameliorative  results  may  be  obtained  with  ferrous  sulphate  far 
superior  to  those  indicated  in  Table  1  by  using  less  of  the  salt 
and  by  obviating  the  deleterious  effects  of  the  ferrous  salt  by 
allowing  it  to  become  partially  oxidized  in  the  soil  before  the 
seed  is  planted.  It  will  be  noted  further  that  CuSO^  and  Xa.SO^ 
were  without  effect  in  a  positive  direction  and  appeared  even  to 
render  the  soil  a  much  poorer  medium  for  the  growth  of  barley 
than  it  was  before  treatment. 

When  we  pass  from  the  total  yields  of  dry  matter  to  those 
of  the  grain  produced,  the  smallest  of  the  three  sulphuric  acid 
applications  employed  seems  to  be  far  and  away  the  best  treat- 
ment of  all  tested.  In  respect  to  the  grain  yield  again,  gypsum, 
and  not  the  intermediate  sulphuric  acid  treatment,  stands  second, 
and  the  latter  and  the  manure  treatment  are  about  even. 

So  far  as  the  root  yields  are  concerned,  the  data  are  too 
irregular  to  allow  of  our  arrival  at  any  definite  conclusions. 
They  do  not  appear  to  follow  in  a  general  way  the  yield  of  tops, 
are  more  consistent  and  regular  in  the  sulphuric  acid  treatments, 
and  best  developed  in  the  manure  treatments.  In  general  the 
favorable    treatments    were    productive    of    more    fibrous    root- 


280         University  of  California  Publications  in  Agricultural  Sciences    [Vol.  1 

development  and  the  unfavorable  treatments,  or  the  untreated 
soils,  of  short,  thick  roots  having  very  few  fibrous  roots.  The 
two  exceptionally  large  root  yields  in  pot  4  and  pot  15  are  not 
capable  of  satisfactory  explanation  at  this  time. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  explain  at  this  time  in  detail  the 
causes  underlying  the  positive  or  negative  effects  of  the  various 
treatments,  since  such  explanations  will  appear  in  the  more  com- 
plete reports  of  the  work  which  are  to  follow.  It  may  be  said 
here  briefly,  however,  that  the  H2SO4  exerted  its  influence,  both 
in  the  direction  of  neutralizing  the  NaoCOg  and  that  of  improv- 
ing the  soil 's  physical  condition  through  its  shrinkage  of  colloids. 
In  smaller  measure,  likewise,  gypsum  exerted  similar  effects  and 
in  addition  thereto  exerted  the  characteristically  strong  antag- 
onistic effect  to  the  sodium  and  acid  ions  which  calcium  is  known 
to  exert  in  the  plant  world.  The  effects  of  FeS04  ^I'e  to  be 
explained  in  general  as  are  those  of  CaSO^.  The  effect  of  the 
barnyard  manure  is  probably  exerted  through  the  organic  colloids 
produced  in  its  decomposition,  which  through  the  enormous  sur- 
face they  possess  hold  much  of  the  salts  or  components  of  the 
latter  in  a  condition  which  prevents  their  ready  solution  in  the 
soil  water.  Moreover,  the  organic  colloids  render  the  soil  more 
retentive  of  moisture,  therefore  diluting  the  soil  solution,  and 
besides  exert  the  most  marked  effects  of  any  of  the  materials 
used  in  the  improvement  of  physical  conditions  in  the  soil.  Many 
other  effects  are  probably  also  involved  in  the  manure  treatment 
which,  like  those  above  mentioned,  cannot  be  discussed  here. 

Detailed  studies  are  now  being  made  of  a  chemical,  physical 
and  biological  nature  to  determine,  so  far  as  may  be,  the  intimate 
effects  concerned  in  treatments  of  the  soil  which  are  above  out- 
lined. ]\ruch  material  has  already  been  accumulated  from  these 
supplementary  studies  which  is  of  great  practical  as  well  as 
theoretical  significance. 

No  less  interesting  and  striking  than  the  data  given  in  Table  1 
is  the  series  of  photographs  accompanying  this  paper.  These 
confirm  in  the  appearance  of  the  plant  growth  what  is  so  clearly 
shown  in  the  record  of  yields  as  above  discussed,  and  the  reader's 
attention  is  i)articuhirly  directed  to  them. 


1915]       Lipman-Sharp :  New  ExpcrimcnU  on  Alkali  Soil  Treatment  281 

Other  Experiments 

In  addition  to  the  experiment  above  discussed,  we  have  now  in 
progress  another  pot  experiment  similar  to  the  first,  and  several 
field  experiments.  In  the  new  pot  experiment  a  different  soil, 
coming  from  Kearney  Park  near  Fresno,  is  being  employed.  This 
soil  contains  only  about  0.44  per  cent  total  salts  based  on  the  dry 
weight  of  the  soil.  The  total  alkali  is  diff'erently  distributed 
than  in  the  soil  of  the  foregoing  experiment,  consisting  of  0.18 
per  cent  Na^COg,  0.16  per  cent  NaCl  and  0.10  per  cent  NaoS04. 
It  may  be  stated,  briefly,  with  respect  to  this  experiment  that 
even  more  striking  results  are  already  manifest  than  in  the  fore- 
going series.  Nevertheless,  it  must  be  added  that  the  barley 
plants  are  only  six  or  seven  inches  high  as  yet  and  any  predictions 
as  to  the  final  outcome  of  the  experiment  would  be  premature. 
It  is  interesting  to  note,  however,  that  to  date  none  of  the  control 
pots  shows  any  growth  worth  mentioning  and  that  in  the  treated 
pots  there  is  better  agreement  than  in  the  preceding  series  so  far 
as  duplicate  pots  are  concerned. 

Of  the  field  experiments  above  referred  to  we  have  five 
different  locations  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  all  in  the  vicinity 
of  Fresno.  These  consist  of  small  treated  and  untreated  plots 
in  the  open  alkali  fields.  Four  of  the  plot  experiments  concern 
the  growth  of  barley,  while  the  fifth  concerns  alfalfa.  It  is  far 
too  early  to  predict  anything  as  to  the  outcome  of  these  field 
experiments,  since  the  period  of  growth  is  just  beginning,  but 
we  have  already  made  observations  on  one  set  of  plots  which 
gives  hopes  for  success. 

General  Remarks^ 

The  brief  statement  above  made  is  here  submitted  to  call 
attention  to  some  striking  results  already  obtained  and  to  the 
promise  of  new  ones  to  which  present  experiments  are  pointing. 


3  Since  writing  the  preliminary  statement  above  given  the  writers  have 
fonnd  that  owing  to  too  slight  a  covering  of  parafline  on  the  inner  walls 
of  the  pots  some  of  the  salts  were  absorbed  by  the  porons  clay.  This  can 
be  of  little  significance  only  in  connection  with  onr  statement  however, 
since  the  largest  amounts  of  salts  remain  in  the  pots  which  gave  the 
heaviest  yields.  We  only  advert  to  the  circumstances  here  for  more 
completeness  of  record  and  for  future  reference. 


282         University  of  Calif ornia  Publications  in  Agricultural.  Sciences    [Vol.  1 

Obviously  the  practical  significance  of  any  such  experiments  in 
the  event  of  their  proving  successful  would  be  very  great.  The 
vast  areas  of  alkali  land  in  this  state  which  at  present  are  worth- 
less could  be  made  to  increase  California's  wealth  enormously 
if  they  can  be  treated  so  as  to  make  them  produce,  and  par- 
ticularly if  they  can  be  treated  cheaply.  If  our  experiments 
should  turn  out  to  be  entirely  successful,  as  we  now  have  good 
reason  to  think  they  will,  treatment  of  alkali  land  as  outlined 
above  to  make  it  profitable,  should  prove,  relatively,  to  all  other 
methods,  by  far  the  cheapest  method  of  reclamation. 

Transmitted  April  16,  W15. 


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EXPLANATION  OF  PLATES 

PLATE  1 
Treatment  of  Pots  reading  from  left  to  right 
Pots  1,  2  and  3.     No  treatment. 
Pots  4  and  5.     30.42  grams  each  of  actual  ILSO4. 


I  -^'^-^  I 


PLATE  2 
Treatment  of  Pots  reading  from  left  to  right 
Pots  6  and  7.     41,76  grams  each  of  actual  H2SO4. 
Pots  8  and  9.     11.02  grams  each  of  actual  H.SO4. 
Pot  10.     62.08  grams  of  CaS04.2H,0. 


|2S6| 


PLATE  3 
Treatment  of  Pots  reading  from  left  to  right 
Pot  11.     62.08  grams  of  CaS04.2H20. 

Pots  12  and  13.       6.00  grams  each  of  CuSOi  as  anhydrous  salt. 
Pots  14  and  15.     30.00  grams  each  of  FeSOt  as  anhydrous  salt. 


2HH 


PLATE  4 
Treatment  of  Pots  reading  from  left  to  right 
Pots  16  and  17.     12.00  grams  each  of  NaaSOi  anhydrous. 
Pots  ]8  and  19.     300.00  grams  each  of  air-dry  barnyard  manure. 


|2!M)| 


